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Product Description

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Since Prohibition, every man in Laurie Burke's world has turned to crime. Looking for just one honorable man, she scratches newcomer Daniel Shepherd off her list---convinced he's rum-running. Federal agent Samuel Brown seems like the answer to her prayers, but when trouble starts brewing and trust is broken, will Laurie's dream man turn into a nightmare? 320 pages, softcover from Abingdon.

Publisher's Description

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Since booze and prohibition have made criminals out of every man in her world, Laurie Burke resolves to find at least one honorable man to fill her life. Convinced that handsome newcomer Daniel Shepherd is connected with her brothers rum-running gang, Laurie quickly scratches his name off her list. Daniel has mixed feelings about returning to the dirty mill town of his youth, but grudgingly agrees to manage his grandfathers drug store until a replacement can be found. The moment he meets Laurie on the windswept bluff overlooking the beach, he knows that if he can earn her love, he might have a reason to stay. But when Laurie pushes him away--for none other than Federal Agent Samuel Brown--Daniel wonders if Laurie really is the upstanding woman he thought her to be. The Strait of Juan de Fuca, just off the beaches of Port Angeles, Washington, was treacherous water for reckless rum-runnersand the agents who tried to catch them. So when she realizes her brother is in danger, romance is the last thing on Laurie's mind. Yet the people she believes she can trust, may not be so honorable after all.

Author Bio

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Karen Barnett is the author of Out of the Ruins and Mistaken. Named the 2013 Writer of Promise by Oregon Christian Writers, Karen lives in Albany, Oregon, with her husband and two kids. When shes not writing novels, she loves speaking at womens events, libraries, and book clubs. You can learn more at KarenBarnettBooks.com.

I really enjoyed Mistaken by Karen Barnett. I found the story set in the time of prohibition and bootlegging very interesting. Laurie Burke has her own personal battle against rumrunning as its impact touches close to home. Most importantly, failed by her father and her brother, Laurie wonders if she will ever find an honorable man, someone she can trust. She makes assumptions about others that don't often prove to be correct. Laurie meets Daniel Shepherd, a man with his own secret past, and Samuel Brown, the federal agent investigating the rumrunning in the area. Laurie wrestles with her own beliefs and protecting those she loves. Finally, she must choose which man is worthy of her trust and what decision is best for her and for her family.

I enjoyed the romance and suspense in Mistaken. The book held my interest all the way through, and as I reached the climax and conclusion, I couldn't put it down until I found out how it would end. I look forward to reading more by Karen Barnett.

My eyes feel like sandpaper grains are in them, but what a way to spend the day! Curling up with this novel by Karen Barnett was pure ecstasy from beginning to end! The time frame is during the prohibition when alcohol could only be obtained for medicinal purposes. Ray Burke is given it via a prescription from his doctor for shoulder pain he battles. However, after losing his wife, Ray quickly loses control of his life from providing for his daughter Laurie to being abusive with his son.

Now Laurie's older brother Johnny has taken to rum running. Why does he do so when he has a steady job at the mill? The town's local pharmacist's grandson Daniel has returned to the area to help run the local store. Daniel though battled the demons of his past in Seattle privately. In time, Laurie and Daniel fall in love, but Laurie also has another man named Samuel who is pursuing her affections constantly.

A G-man, pharmacist, prohibition and then add seduction, scandal, romance plus faith and what comes out is a novel that will keep you turning pages like me! It would seem like I could envision the next scene, but then came twists and turns in a plot that heightened the suspense. It is really an enjoyable captivating book that will be a favorite of mine for years to come.

Laurie's man issue is that all the men in her life have failed, in her view, to take care of their issues. Ray has to come to terms with being a drunk and wanting to get better, but will he? Is Samuel the government agent here to bust up a small town operation or something more? Will Daniel ever find the courage to face his past with hope and courage?

The main theme is giving and receiving forgiveness because all have sinned before God. Characters in the writing reflect the truth that we all have the choice as to whether to trust the Lord or try and take care of life without Him. A part of the theme too is whether trusting God is the real answer or trusting in people as an anchor when the tumults of life hit us. I saw too where allowing our loved ones to make their own choices is so hard because of the pain we incur and our loved ones as well.

With winter coming on the heels of fall soon, this is a great tale to curl up with and get lost in when the snow flies. Of course, if you are anything like me, I wouldn't be able to wait. I would grab one to read now and then give one has a Christmas present! Okay, maybe more than one!

The year is 1926 and 21 year old Laurie Burke is trying to hold her family together. Since her mother died ten years previously, Laurie's father has found solace in whiskey. It doesn't matter that prohibition is in effect. There are ways to obtain alcohol that circumvent the law, and Laurie knows her brother is one of her father's suppliers. His reasoning is that their father will only look elsewhere if he doesn't provide it, and what he ends up with might not be all that safe to consume. Furthermore, her brother wants Laurie to stay out his business. Her failure to do so, however, could jeopardize everything she holds dear including her home and her job.

Mistaken is Barnett's excellent debut novel, which is partly based on stories her grandparents told about life in Washington during prohibition. It's an easy book in which to immerse yourself in American life before the depression. Prohibition often brings to mind the mobster world of Al Capone and his associates, and books on the 1920s can emphasize the glamorous flapper life. Mistaken focuses on neither of these elements, but instead looks at ordinary lives in a small town and how they were impacted by the Volstead Act. Many of these ordinary people turned a blind eye to the bootlegging and speakeasies in their towns. They were more concerned about other events in their lives. Laurie is upset about her brother's involvement in the rum-running, but her fears are that he'll be arrested. Even when pressed to give him up, she'll go to almost any length to not turn him in. There is a moralistic element to the story regarding the consumption of alcohol, but the lesson appears to be not so much about the perils of drinking alcohol but that people can change and turn their lives around. For the majority of characters, the main concern is when does doing the right thing cross the line between legally right and legally wrong? During the time of prohibition, that line definitely became blurred.

Thank you to Abingdon Press for an Advance Reader Copy of Mistaken, which I received in exchange for an honest review.

The men in Laurie Burke's life give her nothing but trouble. Her father is an alcoholic during Prohibition and her brother is a rumrunner, smuggling liquor into town beneath the very eyes of federal agent Samuel Brown. Knowing so few men on the right side of the law, Laurie is attracted to Samuel even though he could put her brother in prison. And then there's her brother's friend, Daniel Shepherd, whose involvement with the rumrunning means there's yet another man Laurie can't trust.

Karen Barnett gives readers a heroine who is surrounded by people making bad decisions. Through Laurie, Barnett shows us decisions we hope we'll never have to face...like how far do you go to protect a loved one from the law?

I really enjoyed this book. Laurie is noble and I cheered for her as she found romance in the midst of a delicate and dangerous situation. No mistake, I recommend this book.